WATCH: Nick Young steals ball from teammate then hits game winner

With 5 seconds left and the Lakers down by 1, Nick Young decided the play Luke Walton drew up wasn’t working for him. So he took matters into his own hands, intercepting a pass intended for his teammate Lou Williams and knocking down a game winning three. Once again living up to his god given nickname, Swaggy P.

NBA fans know Swaggy P as the most irrationally confident player on the court at all times (unless he’s playing against Dion Waiters). But in a game against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Young’s irrational confidence paid off in a big way.

Most non-NBA fans may know Nick Young as everyone’s favorite Australian rapper, Iggy Azalea’s former boo. Or perhaps from his work as a helpless victim in D’Angelo Russell’s Snapchat video, where Russell decided to publicly call out Young for allegedly cheating on Azalea ultimately ending the “power couple’s” relationship.

https://youtu.be/xNqc7u68rA8

The Lakers were reportedly looking to trade Young or buyout his contract before the start of the season, partly for his on court play and partly for his aforementioned off court incident with the Lakers young point guard D’Angelo Russell. The Lakers eventually decided to keep Young and the move has paid off big time. He is having his best season in recent memory, and it looks like Laker fans have something to be excited about. This dynamic Laker team looks to be on the rise, even with so many young core players.

With the departures of Byron Scott and Kobe Bryant and the addition of new head coach Luke Walton, the Lakers have turned into one of the most fun teams to watch in all of basketball. Young and his big personality are perfect for LA, and if he continues his solid play he can reclaim his rightful place as a fan favorite.

I’m not saying he’s going to win the MVP or anything, but it’s time we put a little Respek on Swaggy’s name. He’s earned it, at least so far this season.

With the team thriving under Walton and Young’s improvement on the defensive end, he has gone from an always-overrated player, to now one of the most under appreciated guards in the league. He has become an important veteran presence on an up and coming team, something no one would have guessed just two months ago.